By
On Top Magazine Staff
Published:
November 30, 2012

Thomas Peters, cultural director for
the National Organization for Marriage (NOM), claims a Supreme Court
ruling striking down the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) would settle
nothing and only spark a culture war.

DOMA was approved by Congress in 1996
and signed into law by President Bill Clinton. It forbids federal
agencies from recognizing the legal marriages of gay and lesbian
couples.

On Friday, the Supreme Court is
expected to consider whether it will hear a case challenging the
law's constitutionality.

Striking down the law would allow for
federal recognition in the 9 states and the District of Columbia
where gay nuptials are already legal. Some experts believe other
states would be affected as well. The court could also recognize for
the purposes of the federal government marriage alternatives such as
civil unions and domestic partnerships, currently available in 8
states.

In comments to Al Jazeera, Peters
warned that such a move would spark a culture war.

“It would be wrong for the Supreme
Court to jump way ahead of public resolution of this issue and create
a federal right to same -sex marriage. You know, we saw that as a
resolution to the abortion battle back in the 70s and all that did
was spark a culture war,” he said. (The video is embedded on this
page. Visit
our video library for more videos.)